Learn a Little Something
by Yami and Ryoko
Summary: He asked her why she cared about looks so much. She responded that it feels good to feel pretty. He then asked how it felt if someone said she was pretty. ShikaIno theme: summer


I joined a fanfic challenge where you have to write a story about a chosen couple, mine is ShikaIno, and each story has to be about a season. This is my second fic of the challenge. I'm halfway done then. This is summer.

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**Learn a Little Something**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

"Stop eating so much, Chouji!" Ino growled from across the picnic table. She wore a scowl on her face.

Shikamaru sighed. He cupped his hand around his cheek. It was starting again. He watched, with no particular interest, the beginning of this dual of words. He lazily glanced from each of their plates to the other. Each blue plate held the green ends of triangular watermelon pieces. On the edge of the green parts was the jagged pink remainders of the melon. His helping doubled Ino's and Chouji's just about quintuplicated hers.

Chouji stared at his plate. Part of him appeared like he wanted more and part of him looked hurt at the girl's words. He then eyed the bowl in the middle of the picnic blanket. Red strips ran across the white blanket in a checkered pattern. Inside the bowl were still several slices of melon. His eyes wandered from slice to slice. His hand hesitated in his lap. It fidgeted slightly.

"Geez, and you want to know why girl's don't take an interest in you." She lifted her hand and held out her index finger. "Girls only like thin guys." She said it as if it was a matter of fact and Shikamaru was in no mood to explain to her just how opinionated a statement it really was.

Chouji glanced over at him. A look of disbelief formed on his face. His mouth opened slightly. He gave Shikamaru a pleading look, but Shikamaru just shook his head. He didn't want to get involved in their stupid fight, if it could be called that since Chouji wasn't saying anything back to classify it a two-sided argument. Being in the middle was never a good thing, but it wasn't a bad thing exactly either. It was bad in that the person got into the argument. He had to _listen_ to the stupidity of his friends, but it was good to be in the middle because he wasn't on the receiving end of the retorts. He wasn't the one being yelled at or nagged at and he wasn't the one doing the nagging, because really it was just too big of a thing to be bothered with. He always seemed to be in the middle with these two.

He turned his eyes from them and turned his ears off. He didn't want to hear the rants of the girl. He looked around at the sandy shore that surrounded them. Off in the distance to his left and right were rocky areas where the coast met the ocean. A multitude of people were all around. They were laying on the sand, sunbathing, and relaxing. Children were building sand castles and held bright smiling faces. Out in the cerulean sea many people were splashing about. The salty scent of the water hung in the air. Hundreds and thousands of voices sung, but none of the words could be identified. It became one loud sound, full of joy and at some points anger and sadness.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ino rise to her feet. He could see the annoyance on her face. Her slim body was fitted perfectly in a bathing suit. It was a two piece with a floral design on a pink solid. The straps of the top formed a bow behind her neck and the other straps hung below her shoulder pads, causing the top to snugly cover her bosom. His eyes wandered subconsciously down her figure. They traced her curves, starting at her chest and slowly moving down her stomach, then hips, then thighs. Her body was flawless. Not an ounce of fat. It was just perfect; lean and muscular.

He blinked a couple of times when he noticed exactly what he was doing. A blush rose like wildfire on his cheeks. Instantly he looked away. His heat pounded in his chest. What are earth was he doing? He shouldn't be staring! However, his mind's urges didn't stop his wandering eyes. For some reason, he didn't find it troublesome to look at her.

He watched her walk over to the crystal waster, which reflected the light of the sun with beautiful glistening sparkles. With each step she took her feet sunk slightly into the brown grainy sand and her lemon-colored hair tied in a high ponytail bobbed with her. As she turned to the sea he caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were bright blue eyes matching the sea and sparkling in the sun just as the ocean was. She stepped onto the darkened and moistened sand. The waves rushed over her feet and then resided back into the vast blue. She walked farther and farther into the water. The liquid rose higher and higher. Soon she was hip-deep in the salty water.

"Hey, Shikamaru…" mumbled Chouji from the boy's side, snapping him out of his thoughts. Shikamaru turned to him quickly, slightly panicked that Chouji had noticed his staring. He hoped his friend wouldn't notice his flushing face.

The plump boy looked down at the ground. His mouth was turned in a small frown. There was a black seed on the corner of his lips. His hands were clutched in tight fists on his lap. Shikamaru noted they were no longer near the watermelon. He looked very depressed. If somebody would have given him a shovel he would had sunk away into the sand.

"Do you think I should diet?" he asked gloomily.

Shikamaru stared at him momentarily, disbelieving him slightly. Had what Ino said dispirited him to such a degree? He didn't want Chouji to be depressed or rather he didn't want to deal with a moping friend.

"I think that your stomach speaks louder than your mind." He sighed. This was troublesome. "Don't worry about what Ino said. If she wants to be anorexic, let her. Not everyone likes thin guys and not everyone likes thin girls."

Chouji was silent.

Shikamaru wished he'd cheer up. It was too much of a bother even if it was his best friend.

Then a cheerful cry rang out in the air. "Shikamaru! Chouji! Come on! Get over here!" Ino was waving at them from the water. She was up to her waist in it now. A huge smile was painted on her face. Her eyes were sparkling with joy. Angry one second, happy the next. Man, did she have mood swings.

"Come on," Shikamaru said with an exhale of breath. There was a sly smile on his lips. "Now's your chance to pay her back. Bet she won't like a wave of water raining down on her."

Chouji gave him a small smile. Then both rose to their feet and ran over to her, splashing through the water and sending the liquid flying in droplets. She let out a shriek of alarm and joy as they attacked her with the water.

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The sky had darkened. It was now a murky gray. It would be expected that the night air was cool, but it was not. Summer hung in the air with a miserable wave of humidity. A few stars twinkled dully from up in the black sky.

Shikamaru laid on the ground with his arms supporting his head. The sand, in contrast to the air, was cold. Due to the heat he had abandoned his jacket and shirt. He could feel every grain against his bare skin. His feet were without sandals or shoes of any kind. All he wore was pants that reached half way down his calves. He could hear the crashing waves. It was a rustling sound, yet it was soothing. He felt comfortable and relaxed laying on the beach. The stars winked as he stared at them.

"There you are," a voice whispered in the stillness.

He saw a shadow move over him. He looked up and saw Ino staring down at him. She smiled and brushed back a stray strand of her hair with her right hand. He watched as she sat down beside him. She wrapped her arms around her bent knees and stared out at the sea. She was quiet. Maybe the sea relaxed her too.

He rose to a sitting position and leaned on his right arm. His attention had changed from the sky to her. He was well aware he was doing it, but it didn't stop him. Her blonde hair was free of a tie and rested on her shoulders and down her backside. She wore a white dress with thin straps. He noticed the dress was very thin and loose and couldn't help but stare at her chest, wondering thoughts he knew he shouldn't, and hoping things he knew he shouldn't.

In a desperate attempt to rid himself of such thoughts, he asked, "Why were looking for me?" His voice was dry and dull. It didn't reveal his curiosity at all.

She turned to him. Something in her eyes was bright and merry. Her thin lips formed a gentle smile. The atmosphere must had gotten to her. It was rare indeed to see her this warm.

Her eyes flickered down and he wondered with a slight hope if they had traced over his bare skin. Why was he hoping? Why was he thinking such things? He shouldn't. He didn't want to. She stirred something inside him and he knew it was much too enormous a trouble to act on the urge. He also knew if he _did_ act his trouble wouldn't yield the results he desired.

"Just wondering where you went to. You weren't at the inn," she replied simply.

Suddenly her eyes lowered to the sand. "Is Chouji mad at me?" she inquired softly. She glanced at him with worry and a bit of sadness in her eyes and then they flickered down again.

He shifted uneasily. He really didn't want to answer. It was too much to be bothered with, but saying nothing was too troublesome in itself. She'd never leave him alone until he answered.

"He'll get over it," he mumbled. She brightened a little. Then he asked, just because it intrigued him slightly. "Why do you care about looks so much?"

She looked up with fidgeting eyes. "It's a girl thing I guess. It's a good feeling to feel pretty." She then thought for a moment. She held out her index finger. "Think of it this way: What do see when you first meet a person? You see their body, not their personality. You usually see that later. Most people judge on how people look. If we judged on heart and goodwill we wouldn't need headbands to prove alliances, now would we?" She pointed to her forehead momentarily. "We're suspicious of them because we see that alliance. We don't consider if they are against their leader or not."

He stayed silent a moment after her speech. He was slightly amused. He supposed she could be thoughtful at times. He then smirked as a thought came to his mind. "What'd you think when you first met me?"

"I don't remember!" she responded quickly. "It was so long ago. We were little kids when our parents made us meet."

He smiled. He didn't know why really.

"Probably thought you were as lazy as I think you are now." She eyed him, but had a smile on her lips too. "How 'bout me?"

"I thought we were going by initial thoughts." A coy smile was on his lips. And he had an eyebrow raised. "Laziness is a personality trait. You have to know me to know that."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop twisting my words!" she shouted, but their was a note of amusement in her voice. She dug her hand into the sand and flung a handful of grains at him. He instantly brought his hands up to protect himself from the onslaught. She laughed and rose to her feet and ran in front of him about two yards away, kicking sand at him as she did.

He stared up at her from the sandy floor. The grains covered his pants and stuck to his hair. Her face was bright. He knew what she wanted. She wanted him to chase after her. It was a troublesome thing to do, but he _wanted_ to catch her. It was a burning sensation. He'd entertain her some. He rose to his feet and raced toward her.

She was frozen a minute. She was probably shocked by his actions. Then a silly laughter sprang from her lips and she began running. Their feet sunk over and over into the sand and eventually seeped into the water. She fled and he pursued her into the water. It became a splashing war. Water flew across the sky and fell upon them in waves. The droplets sparkled in the air. He could had caught her easily if he wanted to. The moon cast enough light to create a shadow on the sandy shore. Yet he enjoyed the chase. When he finally caught her they were chest high in water and all around drenched to the bone. He wrapped his arms around her arms and waist from behind, immobilizing her. She let out a yelp of joy.

He loosened his grip and allowed her to turn around. Moments passed and both breathed heavily. Repeatedly they inhaled and exhaled.

The water was cool against his skin. Droplets dripped down his arms and chest. It ran down strands of his dark hair, which was now loose in his ponytail. His eyes wandered to her soaked figure. Her hair was darkened from the water and where strands reached the water they flowed around them in locks like snakes. The white material of her dress was turned completely see-through. He could see the tan of her skin and the shape of her breasts. He flushed dramatically. He forced himself to look at her face. Her lips were parted slightly as she breathed. They were dark ruby lips. Her skin was pale and her cheeks were rosy from the exertion. Her blonde hair fell over her right eye. He could feel her small waist under his hands and couldn't help but want to touch her more.

She reached up with cautious hands and he watched with just as much caution. He felt a tug at his scalp. Then he felt a slap of wet hair smack against his neck. Her eyes were dreamy and a small gentle smile was pulling at her lips. "You look handsome like this," she whispered in voice barely audible. He could only manage to blush.

It might not be true that all guys liked thin girls, but he couldn't deny that he thought they at least preferred them.

He brushed the hair out of her eye. A feeling was burning through him. He yearned for her. Maybe she was feeling the same thing? Did her recent actions hint at that all? He hoped they did.

"You said it feels good to think yourself pretty," he breathed and cupped her delicate chin in his hand, which had softened from its usual roughness due to the moisten of the water. "How 'bout when someone tells you?"

"It feels better," she whispered in an entranced way. Her gaze was cast completely upon him. It was more like a daze. Her eyes were covered with thick dark lashes. Her lips were parted.

"You're beautiful," he said in a low voice and brought his face close to her. He wanted her. That must had been why he gently kissed her on his lips. It tasted salty from the sea water. He quickly pulled away and saw her staring at him with wide eyes. His cheeks turned red and in the pit of his stomach he felt guilt rushing forth.

"I-I'm sor-" he stuttered, but was stopped by her lips pressing against his. Now it was his turn to have wide eyes.

She gave him a smile as she pulled away. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and combed her fingers through his wet hair. "What should I do to the guy who stole my first kiss?" she mused with a sly smile. She looked playfully thoughtful. "I think as punishment…'

She sent a wave of water at him with her hand. It flooded over him, soaking him even more, if that was possible. He stared at her with a blank look as water dripped down his face. Then he smirked. Usually he would find it too troublesome to play her game, but in those moments he wanted to play no matter what. And so it started again. They sent waves of clear water at each other. The moon gleamed its dim rays upon them, creating an angelic atmosphere. She appeared radiant to him. Drops of water glittered in her skin. She looked beautiful and full of joy. Laughter rang in the air as they attacked each other and a new feeling burned in their hearts.

The End.

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Please review if you like my story!


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